“Adeline, you’re next,” Abel said in a calm but cold voice, not even casting her a single glance.
She padded into the studio, her head not as high as usual, as if she were hiding herself from the unknown threat.
“We need to have a serious chat with him,” I said to Silas and Ezra. “This is not going to fly when she’s in the band.”
Silas’s expression was grim. “Fuck no.”
Adeline was all set up and waiting for Abel’s instructions.
“Play the chorus for ‘Jumpsuit from Hell,’” Abel instructed her before sitting back in his chair.
I could see the tension in her face and hands. It was a tough song, but she knew it well by now. I caught her gaze and gave her my best encouraging smile.
Unfortunately, what I didn’t realize was just how much her mental state affected her playing. She was nervous, and the tricky rhythm on the chords was throwing her off in a way that it hadn’t before. Even from ten feet away, I could see the sweat building on her forehead.
Abel stood up, his expression furious, making all of us jump to our feet.
“What the fuck was this?” he barked into the mic. “Did they screw your head off last night and forget to put it back on straight?”
I crossed the room in three steps and jerked him to me by his arm. I could hear Ezra telling the sound engineer to leave.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
Adeline came into the control room, her expression bewildered.
“What’s wrong with me?” Abel hissed, his breath on my face. “I’m just starting to realize that we made a big mistake. We asked an amateur to join us, and she can’t even play a song we’ve practiced properly.”
I couldn’t help but look at Adeline at his words. Her face collapsed into a blank expression that scared the shit out of me.
“You’re being a goddamn terror and freaking her out. She’s nervous,” I said, trying to control the anger that was fighting to get out.
“And that’s a good excuse in your opinion? How’s she going to feel playing in front of tens of thousands of people? Are we gonna tell our fans our new guitar player is just nervous when they boo us off the stage?”
“What the hell happened with you?” Silas cut in. “You were fine until you left the show last night.”
Abel whipped to look at him with a cruel expression on his face. “I simply realized that we can’t replace Charlie with the first small-town player we happen to come across. Not even one who lets all of you fuck her.”
My fist met his face with a crunch that told me I’d probably broken his perfect little nose. I could hear some commotion behind me and Ezra shouting Adeline’s name, but I was too fucking angry to move from my position standing over Abel.
“You idiot,” I spit, as Silas held me back from doing further damage. “You better pray you didn’t just ruin the best thing that has ever happened to the three of us. The best thing that could have ever happened to you if you’d fucking let it.”
ADELINE
I wished I could say I was surprised. That this wasn’t the outcome I had predicted. That I had faith the wrongs would still right themselves.
But I couldn’t. Because I may be an idiot, but I wasn’t delusional.
My phone started blowing up within minutes of my hasty departure from the studio, but I’d ignored the calls and messages. I was lucky enough to get an Uber right as I ran out of the building, desperate to get away from the meltdown that was happening in the control room. Ezra tried to chase after me, but I ignored his pleas and got into the car without saying a word.
As soon as we pulled out of the parking lot, I burst into tears.
The driver looked at me in the rearview window. He was a wiry guy my age with a shaved head, and his face twisted in nervous concern. “Are you okay, miss?”
“Fine,” I said, wiping my face like a maniac in an attempt to regain some dignity. “I’m sorry. I’m fine.”
“No need to apologize.” He dug under the passenger seat for a moment before handing me a crumpled tissue box.
I sniffed and grabbed the box from him, mumbling a thank-you.
